The present invention relates to a movable class-divider for use in an airliner with a central aisle.
Movable partitions/dividers are known in the state of the art, and, when fitted with a curtain or wall, allow dividing an airliner""s passenger cabin, or any other enclosed space, into two classes, in the manner of the so-called first and second class zones.
In general such a divider comprises a beam fitted with hook means, a curtain or a wall and fittings allowing to move said partition along one or more rails constraining the beam motion carried out on rollers. Typically said beam is designed to follow the ceiling cross-section of said cabin at the anticipated site of displacement.
According to cabin management requirements, the servicing personnel is able to partition the cabin zones by means of said dividers which then must be locked into their new positions.
Another problem encountered in this field and in particular relating to air transportation is the requirement to display on said dividers in particular a number of visual safety signals that shall not be masked in conformity with aircraft regulations.
However, to heed such regulations, said signal displays impose two features on the dividers:
(1) a class divider must be electrically connected to the communication bus of the safety signals and furthermore must comprise corresponding signal receivers so that, once the class divider has been put in place, safety signal display shall be assured,
(2) as regards a movable divider, when it is moved along the path implemented by the rails or slides as it configures the passenger cabin into distinct classes, the above-mentioned crossbeam may not be hampered or stopped by the conventional signaling elements mounted in the cabin regardless of the dividers.
Whether the divider be stationary or displaceable, the signaling problem is encountered in the same manner also by other additional devices when posters, various screen displays and the like are in the path of the movable divider.
Proposals to overcome these difficulties already have been advanced to the effect to make the components of the crossbeam individually detachable and movable, however such; a solution is unsatisfactory.
Illustratively systems have been suggested wherein the central crossbeam component hinges in the manner of two-part scissors, said parts being lowered while detaching from mooring adapters situated at predetermined intervals along the potential path of the divider. In this manner the divider can be pushed along its guide rails and be mechanically and electrically reconnected to new mooring adapters by closing the scissors.
In another design described in particular in the French patent application 98-00892 filed by the applicant, the divider consists of two arms which shall be mutually linked, at least during divider repositioning, to a central support element mounted by hinges or slides on the guide rails, where said hinges or slides are controlled in such a way that the side arms shall move relatively to the central support element.
However, in all cases, the divider must be:
extremely well locked on its mooring adapters in order to stay in position during all aircraft maneuvers on the ground or in flight,
connected electrically extremely well to the aircraft""s communications/signaling bus.
But, in these devices of the state of the art, either the connection is implemented manually, that is by the operator who moved the class divider reconnecting two connectors to their respective cable ends, or a connecting mechanism is provided which, if it would be moved outside an appropriate connection position might damage the divider""s components or the passenger cabin itself.
The present invention offers palliation to these diverse technical scenarios by offering a movable class divider which is situated for instance in an airliner passenger cabin and which comprises:
a device to lock the divider within a mooring adapter when said divider is moving along a guide rail running longitudinally within said cabin and to unlock said divider before such translation takes place,
a device to connect at least a first signaling connector firmly affixed to a displaceable support associated with the translationally displaceable divider to a second signaling connector of said mooring adapter,
a device to operate said locking and connecting devices during translational handling,
a device interlocking said operating device as long as at least said first connector means outside a given connecting position relative to said second connector firmly affixed to the mooring adapter.
In one feature of the invention, the divider comprises at least one roller-fitted carriage of which at least one roller or wheel shall engage a rail firmly affixed to the passenger cabin and situated along the divider""s divider repositioning path.
In another feature of the invention, at least one roller-fitted carriage is mounted in stationary manner on a segment of the divider""s framework.
In another feature of the invention, the device locking the divider into a mooring adapter comprises at least an inner bush constantly biased by a return spring toward the mooring adapter and being driven, in particular by an operating handle, between at least one unlocked position (A) and one locked position (C).
In another feature of the invention, the device connecting at least a first signaling connector to a second connector solidly joined to said mooring adapter comprises an external bush bearing at its upper end a connector support displaceable inside an aperture of the inner bush, said external bush being driven in particular by an operating handle between at least a disconnected position (B) and an appropriate connected position (C).
In another feature of the invention, the devices with which to drive said locking and connection means during translation comprises a cam rigidly joined to a displaceable shaft driven by said operating handle, the end of the external bush opposite the end bearing the connector support being associated with a cam follower, the end of the inner bush which is opposite the end that shall make contact with the mooring adapter selected along the divider repositioning path being associated with a second cam follower.
In another feature of the invention, the device precluding driving the operating devices as long as at least said first connector is not situated in a given connecting position relative to said second connector firmly joined to said mooring adapter comprises an appropriate position detector associated with said mooring adapter selected along the divider repositioning path.
In another feature of the invention, said appropriate position detector comprises a stub projecting from the end of the inner bush and designed to make contact with the mooring adapter selected along the divider repositioning path cooperating with the predetermined cross-section of a channel in the side opposite said mooring adapter, whereby said stub shall be flush only when the end opposite the inner bush is situated in a locking seat of said mooring adapter.
In another feature of the invention, the stub is biased out of the inner stub by a spring mounted between the end of said inner bush and the end opposite the stub, its course thereby being limited within the external bush by a pin which is displaceable into at least one aperture of said external bush.
In another feature of the invention, the inner bush is fitted with a borehole inside of which is situated a pair of half-shells that shall assume two positions:
one position to firmly affix the external bush to the support when the stub is not depressed following detection of an appropriate connection position, whereby the shaft and/or the cam cannot be driven,
a second position to disengage the external bush from the support when the stub is depressed following detection of an appropriate connecting position, whereby the shaft and/or the cam can be driven.
In another feature of the invention, the stub is integral with a narrow zone fitted with two constrictions each receiving a pair of high and low balls that are housed in the inside surface of the half-shells, wherebyxe2x80x94with the stub depressed to be flush with the inner bush end during the detection of the appropriate positionxe2x80x94the two pairs of balls shall be situated in the constrictions of the stub""s narrow zone;
and in that the external bush comprises two seats for one pair of balls, said balls being flush between the external wall of the half-shells when the inner and external bushes are affixed to each other and are forced inward when the two bushes are disengaged.
In another feature of the invention, two yokes are mounted opposite the pair of balls resting on the external bush and are shaped in such a way that:
the balls shall be forced inward to rest against the half-shells when the external bush and the support are disengaged,
the balls shall be retracted inside the yokes when the external bush and the support are affixed to each other.
In another feature of the invention, the yokes are affixed by pins to covers fastened to the body of the roller-fitted carriage in order to allow access to the device precluding driving said operating devices.
In another feature of the invention, the movable divider comprises:
a central segment which is designed to move along the aisle ceiling and which bears at least one roller-fitted carriage engaging a longitudinal rail, a plurality of mooring adapters allowing connecting the signaling connectors and/or locking the divider,
a pair of side arms each situated on its side of the central segment with which it is integral and each designed to move along the ceiling of an aisle bordering said line of seats,
and/or at least one side arm affixed to the ceiling above one row of seats and bordering one of said lateral aisles.